33 Posting and Managing Messages and Feedback

WebCenter Spaces provides task flows for posting messages and Feedback to your connections. Use Message Board task flows to post, view, and manage messages to and from your connections. Use Feedback task flows to post, view, and manage Feedback to and from your connections.

This chapter provides an overview of Message Board and Feedback and steps you through the process of enabling, viewing, and managing messages and Feedback. It includes the following sections:

This chapter is intended for users assigned an application role that includes, minimally, the permission People Connections: Update People Connections Data. Users who plan to edit task flow properties must be assigned a role that also includes the permission Edit Pages. In a Space (other than the Home Space), users must be assigned a role that includes the permission Edit Page Access and Structure.

33.1 What You Should Know About Message Board and Feedback

This section provides an overview of the task flows and features associated with Message Board and Feedback. It includes the following sections:

33.1.1 What You Should Know About Message Board

Message Board provides a means of viewing and posting messages and attachments to Message Boards and Activity Streams. Messages posted to and received on a Message Board (even those marked private) are shared with all of your connections and all of the recipient's connections in their views of the Activity Stream, depending on your portal configuration and your Activity Stream preference settings.

Note:

The messages you mark private are shown only to you and the recipient in your views of Message Board. However, private messages are shared with all of your connections and with all of the recipient's connections in their views of Activity Stream, unless your administrator configures Activity Stream to omit showing actions from Message Board or you do so through your personal Activity Stream preferences. For more information, see Section 6.4.3.2, "Configuring Activity Stream," and Section 32.2, "Setting Activity Stream Preferences."

In your view of the Home Space, Message Board enables you to view messages and attachments from your connections.

Message Boards in your connections' view of the Home Spaces enable you to view the messages and attachments they have received and to post messages and attachments to their Message Boards, provided they have granted you access.

In Spaces other than the Home Space, Message Board provides a means of viewing and posting messages within the scope of the Space. In a Space, every instance of a Message Board task flow shows the same content: messages left by authorized users who are members of the Space. The Space Message Board leverages Page service permissions as its permission model.

When you connect with other users, you potentially give them access to your Message Board and gain access to theirs. Access to other users' Message Boards must be specifically granted through Message Board Preferences.

33.1.2 What You Should Know About Feedback

Feedback provides a means of viewing, posting, and managing feedback remarks. By default, you can view Feedback in your own Feedback view. You can view and post Feedback in your connections' Feedback views—provided they have granted you access.

Note:

The feedback you mark private are shown only to you and the recipient in your views of Feedback task flows. However, private Feedback is shared with all of your connections and with all of the recipient's connections in their views of Activity Stream, unless your administrator configures Activity Stream to omit showing actions from Feedback or you do so through your personal Activity Stream preferences. For more information, see Section 6.4.3.2, "Configuring Activity Stream," and Section 32.2, "Setting Activity Stream Preferences."

When you connect with other users, you potentially give them access to your Feedback view and gain access to theirs. Access to other users' Feedback views must be specifically granted through Feedback preferences.

Feedback posts are also streamed to the Activity Stream, unless the application administrator has configured the Activity Stream not to show Feedback activity. Additionally, you can elect not to show Feedback activity in your own view of the Activity Stream through your personal Preference settings.

Everyone—All users, including users who are not logged in, can view the Feedback you have given.

Authenticated Users—Only users who are logged in can view the Feedback you have given.

User's Connections—Only you and your Connections can view the Feedback you have given.

User Only—Only you and the user for whom you have provided Feedback can view the Feedback you have given.

Grant Post Access to

Select who can provide Feedback to you.

Everyone—All users, including users who are not logged in, can post Feedback messages to you.

Authenticated Users—Only users who are logged in can post Feedback messages to you.

User's Connections—Only you and your Connections can post Feedback messages to you.

User Only—No one can post Feedback messages to you.

Grant View Feedback Given Access to

Select who can view Feedback you have received.

Everyone—All users, including users who are not logged in, can view Feedback you have received.

Authenticated Users—Only users who are logged in can view Feedback you have received.

User's Connections—Only you and your Connections can view Feedback you have received.

User Only—No one can view Feedback you have received.

Click OK.

33.3 Enabling Other Users to Post Messages and Feedback for You

To set up your Message Board and Feedback task flows so that users can post messages and Feedback specifically for you, you must add a Message Board or Feedback task flow to a page in your view of the Home Space, and share that page with your connections. Additionally, you must set a parameter on the task flow to identify yourself as the task flow owner. Once this is set up, your connections can access this page and post messages and Feedback for you. This section steps you through this process.

To enable other users to post messages and Feedback for you:

Go to the page in the Home Space to which to grant access to your connections, or create such a page.

When you share one of your personal pages in the Home Space with other users, the shared page appears in their Personalize Pages page. Such users can use controls on the Personalize Pages page to show the page in their own views of the Home Spaces.

Enter page edit mode and add a Message Board or Feedback task flow to the page.

If you care to, you can send a link to this page to your connections, inviting them to leave you messages or Feedback whenever they are moved to do so. For more information, see Section 29.7, "Sending a Link to a Page."

All users who have access to the page see the Message Board or Feedback task flows that you place there. But only the users to whom you have granted access, through Preferences, see any content in the task flows.

33.4.1 Working with Message Board Task Flows

Message Board task flows provide a means of viewing and posting messages to your connections and attaching files and URLs to your posts. This section discusses how to post messages and attachments and how to edit, hide, show, sort, filter, and delete messages. It includes the following subsections:

33.4.1.1 Viewing Messages

Once you and your connections have set up your own Message Boards, you can see your own and, potentially, each other's messages. This section provides information about how to view each other's messages post-set-up. It includes the following subsections:

33.4.1.1.1 Viewing Messages Others Have Left for You

To view Message Board messages other users have left for you, go to the personal page in the Home Space that you have set up to receive Message Board messages (Figure 33-7).

Figure 33-7 Message Board Task Flow

33.4.1.1.2 Viewing Messages Others Have Received

To view Message Board messages other users have received (including those you have left for them), go to the page the user has made available to you in your view of the Home Space. You can access this page through the Home Space Personalize Pages page. For more information, see Section 29.3.2, "Opening Pages."

33.4.1.1.3 Viewing Messages Sent to a Selected Space

Message Boards placed in a Space provide a means of viewing and posting messages within the Space context. All default Message Board task flow instances within a given Space display the same content: messages left by authorized users who are members of the Space. All users with access to the Space can see the posted messages.

33.4.1.2 Posting Messages

This section describes the various ways you can post messages and attachments. It includes the following subsections:

The message is posted to Message Boards and Activity Streams in the selected Space.

33.4.1.2.3 Posting a Private Message

Provided you are authorized to do so, you can post a private message to any of your connections. When you mark a message as private, only you and the recipient can see the message in your views of Message Board; however, all of your connections and all of the recipient's connections can see private messages in Activity Stream, unless the application is configured to omit Message Board activity from the Activity Stream or you have configured your Activity Stream preferences to do so.

Select the Private checkbox to allow only the recipient to see the message.

Click Save and Close when you have finished.

The message appears in the recipient's views of Message Board and Activity Stream.

33.4.1.2.4 Sharing a Private Message

When you receive a private message, you can opt to share that message with all users who have access to your Message Board by marking it as shared. When someone sends you a message marked private, only you and the sender can see it in the Message Board (though all of your connections and the sender's connections can see the message in their Activity Streams, unless the Activity Stream in configured to omit Message Board activity).

33.4.1.4 Sorting and Filtering Message Board Messages

Your full view of the Message Board task flow includes sorting and filtering features for managing your view of your messages. Use the sorting feature to sort your messages by date or by the person who left the message. Use the filtering feature to show messages posted on a particular date or within a given date range.

Date—Sort your messages by the date they were posted, from most recent to oldest.

Person Name—Sort your messages by the user name of the person who posted them, from A to Z.

To show messages between a particular range of dates, enter the beginning and end of the range respectively in the fields after From and To (Figure 33-19).

Figure 33-19 Sort By Date Range Options

Tip:

Instead of entering dates, you can click the Select Date icon next to a field to select a date from a calendar.

Accessibility Note:

In WebCenter Spaces, you cannot use the keyboard to select a date from the calendar that pops up when you click the Select Date icon. Instead, manually enter the date into the field.

Click the button to the right of the fields to apply the filter.

The Message Board refreshes, showing only those messages that fit your sorting and filtering criteria.

Tip:

To remove the date filtering criteria from your Message Board view, click the Clear Date icon to the right of the date range fields.

33.4.1.5 Hiding Messages in Your View of Message Board

You can hide any message you have received on your Message Board. Hiding provides a means of removing messages from your own view without actually deleting them. It is a non-permanent way to reduce the visual clutter of your Message Board view.

Users to whom you have given access to your messages can still see the messages that you have hidden.

To hide Message Board messages:

Go to the message you want to hide in your view of the Message Board task flow.

Click the Hide link next to the message you want to hide (Figure 33-20).

Figure 33-20 Hide Link on a Message

The message is hidden in your view of the Message Board. Other users you have permitted to view your Message Board can see this message when they visit your view.

33.4.1.6 Showing Hidden Messages

Use the Hidden checkbox on the Message Board task flow to show all of the messages you have hidden. The Hidden checkbox provides a means of showing all hidden messages in one operation, making it available to be unhidden or deleted.

To show hidden Message Board messages:

In your view of the Message Board task flow, select the Hidden checkbox to show the messages you have hidden (Figure 33-21).

Figure 33-21 Hidden Checkbox on a Message Board Task Flow

Click the Unhide link next to the message you want to show (Figure 33-22).

Figure 33-22 Unhide Link on a Message Board Task Flow

Optionally, clear the Hidden checkbox to hide the messages that are still marked as hidden.

33.4.1.7 Deleting Message Board Messages

Your application administrator can configure the Message Board to allow users to delete the messages they send. Provided this permission is in place, you can delete any message you send.

Go to your view of the Message Board, and click the Delete icon next to the message you want to delete (Figure 33-23).

Figure 33-23 Delete Icon on a Message

In the resulting confirmation dialog, click the Delete button.

33.4.2 Working with Feedback Task Flows

Feedback provides a means of viewing and posting remarks on the job performance of your connections. In your own view of the Feedback task flow, you can view the Feedback you have posted and that was posted for you. In a connection's view of the Feedback task flow, you can post Feedback for that connection and view all of the Feedback left for that connection, provided he has granted you view and post access.

33.4.2.1.2 Sorting and Filtering Feedback Posts

The main Feedback task flow includes sorting and filtering features for controlling what is shown in your view. Use the sorting feature to sort your Feedback by date or by person—that is, the user name of the person who left the Feedback. Use the filtering feature to display Feedback posted on a particular date or within a given date range.

33.4.2.1.3 Hiding Feedback in Your Own View

You can hide any Feedback in your own view of the Feedback task flow. Hiding provides a means of removing Feedback posts from your own view without actually deleting them. Users to whom you have given access to your Feedback can still see the posts you have hidden.

Click the Hide link next to the Feedback message you want to hide (Figure 33-27).

Figure 33-27 Hide Link on a Feedback Message

33.4.2.1.4 Showing Hidden Feedback

Use the Hidden checkbox on the Feedback task flow to show all the Feedback you have hidden. The Hidden checkbox provides a means of showing all hidden Feedback in one operation, making it available to be unhidden or deleted.

33.4.2.1.5 Marking Feedback Received as Private

When you view Feedback you have received, you typically have the option of clicking a Private link to shield the Feedback from other viewers (Figure 33-30).

Figure 33-30 Private Link on a Feedback Message

It is possible to set a property on the task flow that suppresses the Private link (for more information, see Section 33.5, "Setting Message Board and Feedback Task Flow Properties"). Also, unless Activity Stream is configured at the application level or the personal level (through Preferences) to omit Feedback activity, your connections and the poster's connections can see even private Feedback in their Activity Streams.

33.5.1 What You Should Know About Message Board and Feedback Task Flow Properties

When you set property values on a Message Board or Feedback task flow, you are affecting only the task flow instance on which the value is set. Other instances of the same task flow are not affected by such changes.

All properties on the Parameters and Display Options tabs provide access to an Expression Language (EL) editor, which you can use to select or specify a variable value instead of a constant value. Click the Edit icon next to a property field to open the editor. For more information about using the editor and for descriptions of common EL expressions, see Appendix B, "Expression Language Expressions."

33.5.2 Message Board and Feedback Task Flow Parameters

Table 33-4describes the parameters that are unique to Message Board and Feedback task flows.

Table 33-4 Message Board and Feedback Task Flow Parameters

Parameter

Description

Display Message Size

The number of characters to show for each Feedback message

Messages exceeding the specified value are truncated.

This parameter is associated with the Feedback – Quick View task flow.

End Date

The ending date for a date range within which to show messages and posts

Enter the Space internal name. The Space internal name is the name specified by the Space URL on the General page of a Space's administration settings. The Space display name is specified by Display Name, and is the name that appears in the banner at the top of a Space.

This parameter is associated with the following task flows:

Message Board

Message Board - Quick View

Hide Actions

Specifies whether to show or hide the actions normally associated with a Feedback or Message Board entry, such as Private, Edit, Hide, and Delete

Select the checkbox to hide actions associated with a Feedback or Message Board entry (#{true}).

Clear the checkbox to show such actions (#{false}). When no value is entered, this is the default.

This parameter is associated with the following task flows:

Feedback – Quick View

Message Board – Quick View

Hide Footer

Specifies whether to hide the task flow footer

Select the checkbox to hide the task flow footer (#{true}).

Clear the checkbox to show the task flow footer (#{false}).

This parameter turns the More link on (#{false}) or off (#{true}). Note that it does not affect the Previous and Next links that may also display toward the bottom of the task flow.

This parameter is associated with the following task flows:

Feedback - Quick View

Message Board - Quick View

Hide Given

Specifies whether to enable or disable the display of Feedback left for others

Select the checkbox to disable the display of Feedback left for others in a given task flow instance (#{true}).

Clear the checkbox to allow the display of Feedback left for others in a given task flow instance (#{false}).

Selecting Hide Given hides the View menu so that only Feedback received is shown.

This parameter is associated with the following task flows:

Feedback

Feedback - Quick View

Hide Header

Specifies whether to show or hide the task flow header

Select the checkbox to hide the task flow header (#{true}).

Clear the checkbox to show the task flow header (#{false}).

This parameter is associated with the following task flows:

Feedback

Feedback - Quick View

Message Board

Message Board - Quick View

Hide Publisher

Specifies whether to show or hide the message entry field and the upload file and URL controls (the Publisher)

Select the checkbox to disable the display of the message entry field in a given task flow instance (#{true}).

Clear the checkbox to allow the display of the message entry field in a given task flow instance (#{false}).

This parameter is associated with the following task flows:

Message Board

Message Board - Quick View

No of Feedback items

The number of Feedback items to show in the task flow

For example, enter 5 to specify that a maximum of five items can appear in the task flow. In quick view, a More link appears at the bottom of the task flow when there are more items than the specified number of items. Users click More to open the main view of the task flow where all items are accessible. In main view, Previous and Next links are shown. Users click these to page through entries.

This parameter is associated with the following task flows:

Feedback

Feedback - Quick View

No of Messages

The number of messages to show in the task flow

For example, enter 5 to specify that a maximum of five items can appear in the task flow. In quick view, a More link appears at the bottom of the task flow when there are more items than the specified number of items. Users click More to open the main view of the task flow where all items are accessible. In main view, Previous and Next links are shown. Users click these to page through entries.

This parameter is associated with the following task flows:

Message Board

Message Board - Quick View

Resource Id

The ID of the user to show in the task flow

This value is set automatically, #{securityContext.userName}, which returns the name of the current user.

The properties associated with Message Board and Feedback task flows make it possible to control such things as the number of messages to show, the maximum length of Feedback posts, the presence or absence of a message input field, and so on.

33.5.3.1 Hiding Action Links and Icons on a Task Flow Instance

Users with page edit privileges can set the Hide Actions parameter on a Message Board - Quick View or Feedback - Quick View task flow to hide the actions normally associated with each posted message. Such actions include the Edit, Hide, and Private links and the Delete icon (Figure 33-35).

In the Component Properties dialog, click the Parameters tab to bring it forward.

Select the Hide Actions checkbox.

Note:

To show hidden actions, clear this checkbox.

When you finish revising component properties, click OK.

Save your changes, and exit page edit mode.

33.5.3.2 Limiting the Number of Messages and Feedback Posts Shown

Parameters on all Message Board and Feedback task flow types enable you to specify how many messages or Feedback posts to show in a given task flow instance. When the number of messages or posts exceeds the value that you provide:

Previous and Next icons appear on the full task flow views, enabling users to page through all messages and posts.

A More link appears on task flow quick views. Users click this to launch a dynamically-generated page that shows all messages or posts.

For Message Board and Message Board - Quick View task flows, use the No of Messages parameter. For Feedback and Feedback - Quick View task flows, use the No of Feedback Items parameter.

To limit the number of messages and Feedback posts shown in a given task flow instance:

In the Component Properties dialog, click the Parameters tab to bring it forward.

For the Display Message Size parameter, enter the number of characters to allow for a given post.

When you finish revising component properties, click OK.

Save your changes, and exit page edit mode.

33.5.3.4 Preventing Users from Adding Messages to a Message Board

You can use the Hide Publisher parameter to hide the message input field and its associated icons in a Message Board or Message Board - Quick View task flow instance. This is useful when you want a Message Board to be a window onto current messages without also being a point of input.

To prevent users from adding messages to a Message Board task flow instance:

In the Component Properties dialog, click the Parameters tab to bring it forward.

Select the Hide Publisher checkbox to hide the message input field and its associated Share document and Share link icons.

When you finish revising component properties, click OK.

Save your changes, and exit page edit mode.

33.5.3.5 Hiding the Feedback You Have Left for Others

You can use the Hide Given parameter to prevent the display of the Feedback you have left for others in both types of Feedback task flows. Selecting Hide Given hides the View menu, so that only Feedback received is shown.

In the Component Properties dialog, click the Parameters tab to bring it forward.

Select the Hide Given checkbox to hide the Feedback you have left for others by hiding the View menu.

When you finish revising component properties, click OK.

Save your changes, and exit page edit mode.

33.5.3.6 Scoping the Display of Messages to a Named Space

Both types of Message Board task flows provide the Group Space parameter for specifying the Space for which to display messages. For example, imagine that, from the Home Space, you want to see the messages people are entering in the Standards Space. You can place either type of Message Board task flow on a page in the Home Space, and configure it to show the messages entered in the Standards Space.

In the Component Properties dialog, click the Parameters tab to bring it forward.

In the Group Space field, enter the internal name of the Space of interest.

Tip:

The Space internal name is the name specified by the Space URL on the General page of a Space's administration settings. The Space display name is specified by Display Name, and is the name that appears in the banner at the top of a Space.

When you finish revising component properties, click OK.

Save your changes, and exit page edit mode.

33.5.3.7 Specifying the Date Range of Shown Messages and Feedback

You can use the Start Date and End Date parameters on the Message Board, Feedback, and Feedback - Quick View task flows to limit the display of messages and Feedback posts to those entered between the two specified dates.

For both parameters, use the date format YYYY-MM-DD, for example 2010-01-02.

To limit the display of messages and Feedback posts to those entered within a specified date range: